Parking fines

Avoiding, disputing & paying parking fines

Council's Parking Officers and Rangers are authorised to implement a range of regulatory requirements and to issue penalty notices (fine) for parking and other offences.

Vehicle drivers are required to comply with the rules and regulations of the Australian Road Rules and NSW Road Rules 2014.

These rules and restrictions are intended to promote safe driving and parking practices, assist with traffic flow and encourage an equitable use of a limited number of parking spaces.

Parking restrictions may be of a statutory type (which apply without specific signage being in place) or sign-posted. In accordance with the Road Rules all drivers are required to comply with statutory rules and regulations. Drivers must also comply with all sign-posted parking restrictions.

If Council's authorised officer identifies a breach of a particular Road Rule or parking restriction, they will proceed to issue a penalty notice for the offence, in accordance with relevant regulations, rules and procedures.

A penalty notice may be placed on a vehicle or sent by mail. The amount charged for a penalty notice is set by NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and the NSW Attorney Generals Department.

Councils do not set or amend penalty notice amounts and Councils are unable to change or vary the amount of the fine or penalty notice.

How to dispute a parking fine

Council's Rangers or Parking Officers cannot withdraw a penalty notice once it has been issued or commenced. However, there is an appeals procedure whereby you can request a 'review' of the penalty notice by referring your request directly to the State Debt Recovery Office (SDRO). The SDRO will consider your request for a review of the penalty notice in accordance with the SDRO Review Guidelines (2.3Mb pdf).

Alternately, you may elect to have the matter heard in court. However, there are occasions where the court may impose a higher penalty if you are found guilty of the offence.

In accordance with Council's Compliance & Enforcement Policy and SDRO guidelines, requests for a review of a Penalty Notice are required to be forwarded directly to the SDRO by completing the relevant form - Request for Review of Penalty Notice. Please do not send your request for a review to Council. The SDRO may liaise with Council and seek further information from Council prior to its determination of the review.

For more information see the frequently asked questions on the State Debt Recovery Office website.

How to pay a parking fine

To pay a Penalty Notice, visit the Revenue NSW - myPenalty website.

Print and Post parking fines

Randwick Council switched to a new, streamlined approach to issuing penalty notices on Wednesday 3 February 2021. Called Print and Post, this new system will provide recipients with more information about the infringement as well as subsequent actions available to them and will reduce the number of confrontations between recipients and Rangers.

Shopper docket-style infringement notices will no longer be left on car windshields or handed to the recipient. To find out more, please view this page.

How parking fines are enforced

Randwick City Council has an official Enforcement Policy.

Visit the Office of State Revenue website for more information about how the NSW Government collects outstanding fines.

How to avoid parking fines

Always check the area for parking signs. That way you can avoid receiving a parking fine.

Some parking sign tips:

  • Signs are clearly displayed to advise drivers of the parking requirements for a particular area. Check the related brochure below.
  • Be careful where there are changes of parking restrictions throughout the day – e.g. some zones may become a School Zone, clearway, etc.
  • Pay particular attention to parking signs around schools. They are there to keep children safe. Check the related brochure below for information about the road rules and speed limits associated with School Zones.
  • No Stopping, Clearway or Bus Zone restrictions mean you are not permitted to stop at any time unless traffic conditions require it.
  • Only park in a Loading Zone if your vehicle is permitted. In NSW sedans are not permitted in Loading Zones at any time. See the below Loading Zones brochure for details.
  • Do not park in a Mobility Impaired Person's Parking Space (MIPPS) unless you are the holder of an RMS Mobility Parking Scheme permit (MPS) or you are driving a person with a MPS permit which is correctly displayed on the vehicle. Heavy penalties apply for breaching this rule.
  • Do not park within ten (10) metres of an intersection unless parking signage advises otherwise.

10 meters of an intersection

Last Updated: 28 June 2023
Back to top